Fitness Expert replies:

Dear Wonder Walker
Thank you for your email regarding the number of lengths you would need to do in a pool to equal 5km. Whilst you haven’t supplied the length of the pool you will be using, most pools in NZ are either 25, 30 metres or 50 metres. 1 km is 1000 metres so 5km is 5000 metres. The calculations are:

· 5000m in a 25 metre pool = 200 lengths
· 5000m in a 30 metre pool = 166 lengths
· 5000m in a 50 metre pool = 100 lengths

To establish how long 5km would take you, well it depends on your jogging speed in the water and whether you stay consistent in your speed over that time (possibly not as it is a long way to ‘aqua-jog!). You will need to take your average times over the next few sessions and then calculate how long it takes you to do a number of lengths (10 or 20) at the speed in which you jog.

The thing about aqua-jogging is that it is great cross training for walking or running and a wonderful way to rehabilitate from injury. If you are jogging then decide whether you will do it by touching the bottom of the pool or doing it in deep water (which uses more energy and therefore you won’t have to do the same amount of distance as if you were walking 5km).

To lessen the time in the water but to get the same energy expenditure requirements as well as ‘fitness benefits’, then mix up your aqua-jogging with some speed work. Do a 500metre warm-up nice and steady, then try to alternate your intensity but going faster for every alternate length for the next 1000metres. Do go hard:easy, hard:easy etc for a number of lengths until you build up your speed and technique. Try to stay fairly upright and pump your arms across your body. Don’t forget too, that in the water environment, you don’t notice yourself sweating as much, so ensure that you have a water bottle handy on the side of the pool to re-hydrate.

I hope this information helps. If I have missed anything, please let me know.

Happy aqua-jogging!

Wendy